Paris Saint-Germain duo Gianluigi Donnarumma and Neymar had to be separated in the dressing room after their humiliating Champions League exit at the hands of Real Madrid, according to reports.
Mauricio Pochettino‘s side bowed out of the competition despite holding a comfortable 2-0 advantage on the hour mark.
However, PSG could not deal with the threat of Karim Benzema. As ever, the Frenchman delivered when it mattered most.
On 61 minutes, he forced Donnarumma to make a rushed clearance straight across the penalty area. He then got on the end of Vinicius Junior‘s cross to pull a goal back.
Subsequently, the 34-year-old made it 2-2 on aggregate on 76 minutes. A superb pass from Luka Modric found the Frenchman, who rifled the ball beyond Donnarumma.
But the most remarkable moment of the match was still to come. Just 10.5 seconds elapsed between PSG’s kick-off and Benzema poking the ball into the bottom corner of the net to make it 3-2.
Deflated, Pochettino’s side tried to get back into the game. But there was no stopping the Real Madrid juggernaut. Los Blancos, and a rapturous Bernabeu, is usually an unbreakable combination.
What happened between Donnarumma and Neymar?
After the final whistle blew, there was understandably a mixture of intense disappointment and fury amongst the PSG players.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, two of their players almost had a fight in the dressing room. They report that Donnarumma and Neymar had a fierce discussion and had to be separated by their fellow players.
The same source claims that Neymar initially condemned Donnarumma for failing to clear the ball, leading to Benzema’s first goal. The Italian received the ball but, under heavy pressure, sliced a clearance straight to Vinicius Junior.
But the goalkeeper fired back and criticised Neymar for his part in the second goal. The Brazilian lost the ball inside the attacking half. Real Madrid then countered, resulting in Benzema levelling the scores on aggregate.
It is also claimed that PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and sporting director Leonardo were furious with the referee after the game. They wanted to see a foul given on Donnarumma before the first goal.
The referee’s report says that Al-Khelaifi “showed aggressive behaviour” and when the referee told him to leave the room, he “deliberately” broke the flag of one of the assistants.
It was a devastating night for PSG, and given these headlines, the impact has gone even beyond the football pitch.
Featured Image Credit: Getty